Yievinyii Naga
President, Hiekha + NagaNext Education Services
Dear Students,
As the board results are about to be declared, I know your hearts are restless. Some of you are excited, some are anxious, and some are silently praying that your marks will make your parents proud.
But today, pause for a moment. This moment is not just yours. Behind every result, there is a parent waiting quietly, not for marks but for your reaction.
Over the past few days, I have sat with many parents, and what I saw broke my heart. They are not scared of your failure. They are not worried about low marks. They are afraid of something else, your expectations after the results.
I have spoken to parents who feel so overwhelmed that they lock themselves in their own rooms, not because they are weak, but because they don’t know how to say no to their own children.
Everyone is getting a new phone. I want an iPhone. If I got good marks, I deserve it.
These words may sound normal to you, but to some parents, they feel like a burden they cannot carry.
Do you know who your parents really are? They are the ones who can live their entire life with a simple keypad phone without complaints, just to make sure you never feel left behind. They are the ones who silently sacrifice their needs, postpone their dreams, and carry financial stress you may never fully understand.
They smile in front of you, but they worry in silence. And sometimes when expectations become too heavy, that love they carry turns into fear. Fear of disappointing you. Fear of not being able to give you what you ask for. Fear of being seen as less in your eyes.
So before your results come out, ask yourself one question. What kind of child do you want to be? The one who adds pressure or the one who brings peace?
Celebrate your success. Be proud of your hard work. But do not measure your success by what you can demand. A phone can wait. An iPhone can wait. Trends will come and go.
But your parents’ peace of mind, their dignity, and their silent sacrifices should never be the price of your happiness.
If you truly want to make them proud, stand beside them, not above them. Understand their limits. Respect their struggles. Choose gratitude over entitlement.
In the end, your marks will be remembered for a few days, but the way you treat your parents in this moment will stay in their hearts forever.
Be the reason they sleep peacefully, not the reason they hide in fear.
Hiekha + NagaNext Educational Initiatives: Two young educators reimagining education with roots in Naga heritage and eyes on the future.
Readers Can Reach Out to hiekhacoachingcentrekohima@gmail.com
